How to Choose a Company Name: A 12-Point Test
Posted by Wendy Bounds
For entrepreneurs, the importance of picking the right name for a company may rank second only to naming a child. (And it’s lot more expensive to change.)
Name consultants are paid millions each year to help decide what to call a company.
Now one has come up with a test: San Francisco naming boutique Eat My Words, which has worked for Frito Lay, Del Monte and other household names. It’s called the Smile & Scratch Test.
To test out a company’s name, first ask if it possesses these qualities:
Simple –- one easy-to-understand concept
Meaningful –- customer instantly “get it”
Imagery –- visually evocative, creates a mental picture
Legs –- carries the brand, lends itself to wordplay
Emotional –- empowers, entertains, engages, enlightens
Then scratch the name if it’s got these deal-breakers:
Spelling-challenged — you have to tell people how to spell it
Copycat – similar to competitor’s names
Random – disconnected from the brand
Annoying – hidden meaning, forced
Tame – flat, uninspired, boring, nonemotional
Curse of knowledge – only insiders get it
Hard-to-pronounce – not obvious, relies on punctuation
Choosing a domain name can be even harder. Most-short and-sweet addresses are long gone. Here are a few tips for finding a great Web-site address.
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